Eucharistic Miracles

Monsignor Charles Pope - Archdiocese of Washington

Monsignor Pope writes today over here of a Eucharistic Miracle he was a part of 15 years ago.  I had my own experience of a Eucharistic Miracle many years ago, that I wrote about last year here.

Some of us need these experiences to help us get the truth of the Eucharist into our hearts and out of our heads.  What a blessing for those who without these physical experiences have a faith deep enough to know that they know that they know without external evidence beyond the Eucharist itself.

The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.  We in the Catholic Church believe that Christ becomes present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Consecration, when the priest performs that rite as Christ prescribed it before His death on the Cross at Calvary.

BUT, we are so often not giving faithful witness to this fact, and bear much responsibly for the ongoing separation of our Christian brothers and sisters from this miraculous appearance of Our Lord and Saviour.  When we do not show appropriate reverence to the Eucharist, how can we expect others to?  When we dress casually to attend Mass, and make it an occasion for seeing our friends, when we are in fact in the presence of our best friend and lover, how can we expect others to grasp that truth?

If we truly believe that Jesus Christ is present on the altar at each and every mass, and that He is residing in every tabernacle in every Catholic Church, should we not show Him respect?  Dare we create scandal for ourselves and our brothers and sisters by showing disrespect for the One who dies to save us and was resurrected again on the third day?

Forgive me Lord for the many, many times in my life that I have not shown reverence for who You are, and for what you have done for me.  Wash away my sins; cleanse me from my iniquity.